Türkiye slams Israeli FM Katz’s claims about Haniyeh’s fortune

Türkiye has issued a sharp rebuke to statements made by Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, accusing him of spreading slanderous and misleading information.

What happened: The controversy centers on Katz’s social media posts, where he claimed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan blocked the transfer of a $3 billion fortune allegedly belonging to martyred Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

Türkiye condemns Israeli disinformation

• In response, Türkiye’s Presidential Communications Directorate firmly denied the allegations. “These claims are entirely false,” the directorate stated. “Ismail Haniyeh did not have any savings in Turkish banks, and no such issue was raised during the meeting between President Erdoğan and Haniyeh’s sons, Abdussalam and Hammam.”
• The Foreign Ministry echoed this rejection, condemning Katz’s statements as “slander intended for disinformation purposes.” The Ministry added, “These lies, aimed at diverting attention from the genocide taking place in Gaza, will not hinder our support for the Palestinian people.”

Israel to justify “genocide” in Gaza

Türkiye has accused Israel of using disinformation to justify its ongoing military offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths.

These baseless accusations are a transparent attempt to shift focus away from the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. We will not be deterred in our support for the Palestinian cause.

Foreign Ministry

What happened: Israel, in defiance of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza, leaving vast tracts of the territory in ruins. Over 10 months into the conflict, Gaza’s 2.3 million residents face severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine under an Israeli blockade.

Katz’s statements are part of Israel’s distraction strategy

• President Erdogan has repeatedly criticized Israel’s actions, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of war crimes. “Katz’s provocative statements are part of Israel’s broader strategy to distract from its crimes in Gaza,” Erdogan said in a recent address.

We stand by the Palestinian people, and no amount of slander or lies will change that

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

• “Israel’s disinformation campaigns are meant to manipulate global opinion, but the world must not lose sight of the real issue— the ongoing genocide in Gaza,” said a Turkish official familiar with the situation.

Strained relations between Türkiye and Israel

The Turkish government’s response comes amid rising tensions between Ankara and Tel Aviv.

• Relations between Türkiye and Israel have deteriorated sharply since the conflict began, with Ankara cutting off commercial ties and Erdogan engaging in a war of words with Netanyahu.

• Israel is also facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, where Türkiye is a party to the case against Israel.